Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 DrDante Jul 28, 2014 12:32:16	So I haven't played D&D in ages, but I recently picked up the Starter Set and also looked at the Basic Rules, which has all really triggered an itch to play again.  Some of the things seem similar to how I remember them (I played with 1st ed and THAC0!), but many others seem quite different.    One question that I had right off the bat from just looking at the rules, though, is this:   What is the difference between Knowing a spell, Preparing a spell, Slotting a spell (and casting a spell, also, I suppose)?     What I seem to remember from my old games is that you memorized so many spells of each level, and that's what you could use until you rested or studied your spellbook again.  But, now I've tried reading the spells sections of the new 5e rules many times, and I can't quite seem to understand how they're supposed to work.  Maybe I need to see it in action.   The slotting mechanism, in particular, seems opaque.     I hope this is the right place to post. thanks.
#2 mellored Jul 28, 2014 12:53:46	DrDante wrote:
#3 Jordan175 Jul 29, 2014 0:19:54	mellored wrote:
#4 Ath-kethin Jul 29, 2014 4:38:41	In 3rd edition, the term "memorize" was replaced by the term "prepare."  So while you remember wizards having to memorize spells, they now prepare them.  It works pretty much the same way.  A caster who prepares spells has no limit to the number of spells they can know, but must keep a spellbook to review each time they prepare spells (wellm this applies only to wizard types, really.  A priest is assumed to automatically know all spells of the level they can cast  They still have to pray fopr/prepare their spells each day, though).  Again, not really different from 2nd edition and earlier.   Aslso in 3rd edition, a new type of caster was introduced: one who does not prepare spells but casts them spontaneously.  This type of caster can cast any spell they know whenever they like, limited by their spells-per-day table, but they are severely limited in how many spells they are able to learn.  This is where the "spells known" aspect comes into play.   Spell slots are simply the number of spells of each level you can cast in a day.  If your spells per day chart shows a 3 under first level spells, for example, you have three first level spell slots.   Casting a spell has remained basically unchanged since the game was first published in 1974.  You say you want to cast the spell, and assuming you know it, have it prepared, have the necessary components, and/or have a slot of the sppropriate level available, it is cast.   5th edition mechanically altered all of the above a little bit, but how things work is in the rules.  It seemed you were asking for what the terms actually meant, and I hope this helped.
#5 DrDante Jul 29, 2014 14:11:25	Thanks for all the responses, they definitely helped clarify things.  Yes, I suppose I was asking for meanings of the terms and how they mapped onto what I already (thought I) knew.  I guess I missed some of the intervening adjustments, so I'm sorry if this wasn't new for 5e!   The idea of casting Magic Missle from a 5th level slot seems a bit odd, but also kinda cool.   (although I still think that the new Rules don't explain it all very well)
#6 Ath-kethin Jul 30, 2014 8:26:12	For those of us who have been playing 20+ years, a lot of the stuff seems odd, it's true. But I think the idea of casting lower-level spells as higher-level spells instead of the spells automatically scaling by level is a good one. It prevents situations where, for example, a wizard casts a barrage of 5th level spells doing 5th level spells' worth of damage, then still has a bunch of 1st level spells that will do almost as much since they scale automatically. It's a way of mitigating caster power without doing what 4th edition did, which was to make all classes exactly the same mechanically
#7 ArkPanda Jul 30, 2014 9:00:58	Most of these have diminishing returns they didn't have before.  For example, fireball does 8d6 damage as a normal 3rd level spell (caster level 5).  But you only gain one more d6 for each spell level (usually 2 caster levels).  So if you waste a 9th level slot on fireball you only do 14d6 damage instead of 17-20d6.  I think the goal was to encourage casters to use an actual 9th level spell like meteor swarm instead of upgraded fireballs.  Cure wounds is one of the few exceptions I've found; it heals 1d8 at first level plus 1d8 for each additional spell level making it a complete replacement for cure light/serious/critical wounds.
(Reply to #7) 2Chlorobutanal	ArkPanda wrote:
#9 Lord_Phobetor Jul 31, 2014 20:24:39	In the Basic Set, the second paragraph in the class section for Preparing and Casting Spells (the paragraph is identical for both the Wizard and the Cleric) implies that a higher prime requisite (to use the old-school term) affords a greater number of spells, but I'm not understanding how based on the way it's worded.  Can someone translate it for me? Does, to use the example, being a 3rd level Wizard with a 16 Int give your six extra "levels" of spells (3 levels, +3 stat mod) to spread out between 1st and 2nd level spells, in addition to your four 1st and two 2nd level spells?  Put another way, could I cast four 1st level spells and four 2nd level  spells? (two from the class, six bonus levels spent wholly on 2nd level slots), or ten 1st level and two 2nd level spells?  Or, as a 20th level wizard with an 20 Int, could I cast two bonus 9th level spells and a bonus 7th level spell?
(Reply to #9) 2Chlorobutanal	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
#11 Lord_Phobetor Aug 01, 2014 3:44:55	This RAW seem like an overly-wordy description that obfuscates what should be a very simple thing:  How many spells of each level per day can I cast? I'm a 1st level Wizard with a 15 Int.  How many spells per day can I cast? I'm a 7th level Wizard with a 16 Int.  How many spells per day can I cast? I'm a 20th level Wizard with a 20 Int.  How many spells per day can I cast?
(Reply to #11) AaronOfBarbaria	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
#13 Lord_Phobetor Aug 01, 2014 12:58:27	So then a wizard has X number of spells prepared, of which Y are actually castable per day? If I understand that correctly, then a mage would theoretically have more spells prepared than castable, which would be great. However, I notice that the 7th lvl mage example has 1 fewer spells preparable vs. castable.
(Reply to #13) AaronOfBarbaria	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
#15 mellored Aug 01, 2014 13:33:16	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
(Reply to #12) Lord_Phobetor	Yes, I'm with you guys so far, but what I'm getting at can best be summed up by this  AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
#17 mellored Aug 01, 2014 14:17:32	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
#18 Lord_Phobetor Aug 01, 2014 15:19:36	I'm concerned we're kinda talking past each other.  Let me phrase this another way:  what happens if, like in the abovementioned example of mine, a Wizard can't cast as many spells as he's able to prepare? Moreover, there's still my earlier observation, namely that the RAW obfuscate (at least by my understanding) what should be a straightforward thing.
(Reply to #18) Overpromises	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
(Reply to #18) AaronOfBarbaria	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
#21 mellored Aug 01, 2014 16:02:52	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
#22 mellored Aug 01, 2014 16:02:07	Say you prepare 3 spells (burning hands, magic missile, and comprehend languages). You have 2 slots.   Durring the day, you could cast one of the following...   burning hands, and burning hands burning hands, and comprehend languages burning hand, and magic missile comphrehend languages and comprehend languages comprehend languages and magic missile magic missile and magic missile (any of the above in a different order)     Say you prepare 2 spells (magic missile, and burning hands). You have 3 slots   Durring the day, you could cast one of the following... Magic missile, magic missile, and magic missle Magic missile, magic missile, and burning hands Magic missile, burning hands, and burning hands Burning hands, burning hands, and burning hands. (any of the above in a different order)   Does that make sense?
#23 Lord_Phobetor Aug 01, 2014 20:11:46	OK, I think I got it.  To turn it around to the upper end, suppose I have the aforementioned 20th level Wizard.  No matter how many 9th level spells he has prepared, he can only actually cast one of them, right?  And that would include casting a lower-level spell as though it were a 9th level spell, like casting disintegrate as a 9th level spell, for example, right?
(Reply to #23) AaronOfBarbaria	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
#25 Lord_Phobetor Aug 02, 2014 3:48:40	Sheesh!  I hope the wording is better in the full release.
(Reply to #25) AaronOfBarbaria	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
#27 Lord_Phobetor Aug 02, 2014 8:55:08	I'm going to go by your signature and proceed from the basis that you're being sarcastic and not instead being a [body part]. I just hope that you're not hiding behind a disclaimer as license to be rude.
#28 Shogun_Assassin Aug 02, 2014 11:58:26	I've played a bunch of 4e and now getting into 5e. we havent started yet and the rules so far for me are awesome. except spells. they are confusing. I get the prepared and spell slots but how do you write them on the char sheets? does any one have a copy of there spellcasting sheet? also are you spose to look in the book to read flavour txt and find damage or just remember it? doesnt seem theres enough room to write for example what "Prestidigitation" does in the cantrips area + other cantrips ?
#29 AaronOfBarbaria Aug 02, 2014 13:47:32	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
#30 Lord_Phobetor Aug 02, 2014 16:22:14	FYI, I went ahead and reported your post.  You’ll notice by my join date that I’m not some n00b, but rather an oldbie who hasn’t been active a lot lately.  I thought I’d give you the benefit of the doubt based on your signature as a courtesy; a way of handling matters between adults without having to get mods involved.  However, in my opinion, you responded to that courtesy with more rudeness.
#31 Shogun_Assassin Aug 04, 2014 12:54:47	So with just one book and couple of magic uses you check the book everytime? and then pass it to the next person or something? is his how its normally done?
#32 joeburgos Aug 04, 2014 13:32:34	mellored wrote:
(Reply to #31) Overpromises	Shogun_Assassin wrote:
(Reply to #31) AaronOfBarbaria	Shogun_Assassin wrote:
(Reply to #31) Lord_Phobetor	Shogun_Assassin wrote:
(Reply to #35) Undrhil	Lord_Phobetor wrote:
#37 Shogun_Assassin Aug 05, 2014 11:36:39	TBH my players don't read or own the books and I do 80% of making there character. They tell me what they want to play and afew little things they want ie weapon , powers, one or to stats and I make it. They are all new to dnd and right now in the middle of the summer it's hard enough just to get them to play let alone read anything dnd related. So I'm just trying to work out the easiest way to use spells atm.